At a recent gathering hosted by Weisenberg Township Volunteer Fire Company, Seipstown Grange 1657 gave back to the community and to the Lehigh Valley.

Grange Master Brian Wetzel called the event to order with a welcome followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

Assisted by Grange Treasurer Mark Miller, Wetzel spoke briefly about the grange’s mission and quickly moved into the evening’s main agenda by presenting $1,000 checks to the grange’s selected charities.

Seipstown Grange 1657 celebrated its 103rd anniversary in 2018.

Due to aging membership not being able to maintain the aggressive fundraising pace necessary to keep up with the high cost of maintenance, the membership approved the 2015 sale of the grange’s beloved hall, a two-story building completed by the hands of members in 1961.

Seipstown Grange members continue to meet in its former facility and is proud to again grace nonprofits throughout the Lehigh Valley with their far reaching community service.

Recipients included the following:

·Northwestern Lehigh School District’s Snack Pack Program;

·Weisenberg Lowhill Historical Society;

·Dream Come True;

·Allentown Rescue Mission;

·Center for Vision Loss;

·Salvation Army, Lehigh Valley Area Services;

·Lynn Heidelberg Historical Society;

·Christ’s Church at Lowhill Food Pantry;

·Fogelsville Volunteer Fire Company;

·Community Fire Company No. 1, New Tripoli;

·Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department

·Lynnport Community Fire Co. No. 1;

·Goodwill Fire Company No. 1, Germansville

·Cetronia Ambulance Corps;

·Northern Valley EMS Inc.;

·Meals on Wheels of Greater Lehigh Valley;

·Keystone Military Families, Shoemakersville; and

·Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation.

Some of the recipients provided statistics about their operations and included:

•Dream Come True each year fulfills the dreams of 30-35 children living in the Greater Lehigh Valley who are diagnosed with a life threatening, serious or chronic illness including trips to Walt Disney World, cruises, shopping sprees, meeting celebrities and scholarships.

•Fogelsville Volunteer Fire Company, founded in 1916, annually responds to more than 500 emergency calls.

•Lynn Heidelberg Historical Society, in addition to their museum in the historic New Tripoli Bank, maintains four historical buildings in Ontelaunee Park: the original Zeisloff House circa 1750 and the recreated Fort Everett, Mail Pouch Barn and the New Tripoli Train Station.

•Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley provides freshly prepared nutritious meals, wellness checks and social visits to over 1,600 homebound and disabled seniors living independently as well as to senior centers and a day care center.

•Keystone Military Families provides a food pantry to all Pennsylvania active duty and reserves.

Among its goals are assisting the families of those deployed and addressing the financial crisis of relocated spouses and those combat injured vets waiting for VA medical determinations.

Each year more than 10,000 Christmas stockings are shipped to troops all over the world customized to the area of deployment, filling special requests, each packed with lots of letters, cards, socks, toiletries and love.

In addition to this night of sharing, Seipstown Grange provides two scholarships of $1,000 each to the graduating seniors at Northwestern Lehigh High School majoring in agriculture or environmental science.

Grangers and friends also participate in the Adopt-A-Highway Program in spring and fall along 11 miles of highway including eight miles of Route 100 and the three miles of Claussville Road.

Members of local 4-H Clubs assist with the spring highway cleanup to fulfill their required community service as well as to show their appreciation for the many decades of support given to 4-H programs by Seipstown Grange.

Contact Ann Wertman at 610-298-3254 to volunteer for this local highway beautification program in which the Grange has participated for the past 29 years.